Unenduring Darkness
by SiuanSedai
Summary: Eowyn believed the darkness would endure, but it didn't.


Another one written for the ficvariations challenge on livejournal (interesting detaily things in my profile) :-)

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She wanted to go with him, to fight at the Black Gate with the men in the last stand against Sauron. But she'd been so weak from her encounter with the Witch-King that she'd barely even been able to hold a sword for more than a few seconds, let alone fight for her life with it.

Watching Eomer leave was the hardest thing Eowyn had ever had to do. She knew he wouldn't be coming back. Everyone knew that this was the end, one last act of defiance to Sauron so that they could die honourably instead of waiting at home for the orcs to knock on the door.

All she could do was sit and wait for the armies of Mordor to spill out of Minas Morgul once again and cross the blood-soaked Fields of Pelennor to scale the walls of the once-white, now-burnt city and bring she and all the other remaining people – mostly woman, but a few men too injured to go to battle – to a violent demise.

They'd only had a quick moment in which to say goodbye. She'd been so tired, so weak and ill from her injuries that by the time Eomer had managed to tell her they were going to battle again, there had been only hours left before his departure. The room she was staying in had gradually emptied as men who could, went to join the other soldiers and all the women went to find their husbands. Eomer was the leader of Rohan now – he refused to call himself king, saying that the memories of Theoden were too fresh in the Rohirrim's minds, and anyway what was the point of proclaiming himself king when they'd all die in a few days and everyone was going to follow Aragorn – so he'd had to leave, to round up what men survived and motivate them, but before he went he pressed his lips to Eowyn's in a hard, passionate kiss.

"I love you, Eowyn. Promise me you'll find yourself a good man, someone to take care of you and cherish you throughout your life. Do it for me, be happy for me," Eomer said urgently, in a low voice to hide his words from prying ears. Eowyn laughed bitterly. She knew there would be no future to share with anyone.

She'd been in the depths of despair, lost in the whirls of darkness and depression, knowing her beloved brother was dead or soon would be, then she'd met the late Steward's son. Everything had seemed dark and dull and ominous, but Faramir had somehow managed to pass some of his hope to her, and she'd suddenly realised that the grey clouds only shone in such an eerie, foreboding way because they were backlit by the sun.

The clouds had rolled back soon after the earth shook. Faramir had turned to her and said joyfully that Sauron must have been defeated, but Eowyn couldn't, wouldn't believe it until she saw the sun shining through a gap in the rapidly dispersing clouds, illuminating a small part of the Pelennor Fields in a circle of light. She didn't let herself believe Eomer was alive, though. Hoping so much was tempting fate and she'd done too much of that recently to rely on good fortune to see her hopes through again.

Eomer had returned, though, dirt-stained and bloodstained and tired, and he'd seen the way Eowyn's face brightened when Faramir was near. He refused to let himself be jealous. He'd wanted her to find another love, he'd begged her to do so, and so he couldn't be sad that she had.

Eowyn burst into his rooms soon after he'd got out of the bath. She ran to him and kissed him, reassuring herself that he was still alive and still intact, but Eomer drew back. He shook his head at Eowyn's questioning look. "You're not mine to love anymore," he said softly. Eowyn's eyes widened slightly and her bottom lip trembled, an expression of sadness Eomer hardly ever saw. She knew that their affair had to end someday, and she did love Faramir, but it was still painful to let their love go. Eomer leant down and kissed her, a chaste yet lingering kiss. When they separated and looked into each other's eyes, they knew it was over. They weren't free to love anymore. They were just siblings.


End file.
